Self-ventilating footwear

ABSTRACT

Self-ventilating footwear, especially applicable to sports trainers, includes a sole with a chamber ( 4 ) in communication with the exterior by means of one-way valves ( 8 ) that allow air to exit the chamber ( 4 ) to the outside and prevent the ingress thereof towards the inside. This chamber ( 4 ) communicates with the inside ( 5 ) of the footwear ( 1 ) via holes ( 6 ) made in the insole ( 3 ) that delimits the chamber ( 4 ) at the top, the holes ( 6 ), in combination with elastic patches ( 7 ), forming one-way valves that only allow air to pass from the inside ( 5 ) of the footwear ( 1 ) towards the chamber ( 4 ), but not in the opposite direction. Therefore, the loading of the foot ( 11 ) on the sole and the cessation of the loading give rise to a one-way circulation of air to the outside, via the chamber ( 4 ), providing ventilation to the inside ( 5 ) of the footwear ( 1 ) and therefore to the foot ( 11 ).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention refers to self-ventilating footwear, which is especially suitable for sports trainers.

The object of the invention is to obtain a constant renewal of air through the footwear itself and exiting through the sole so as to keep the foot ventilated.

2. Description of the Related Art

There are certain types of footwear which are self-ventilating and that are based on the existence of an insole affected in part or in totality by holes, thus forming an air chamber under the insole through which air is projected towards the foot of the wearer when weight is made to bear on the sole of the shoe, suctioning air in the opposite direction when the foot is raised.

A problem with this type of self-ventilating footwear is that if it adapts to the shape of the foot, as is usually the case, the change of air with the exterior is minimum, possibly even zero, as the same air passes from the interior of the footwear to the chamber and vice versa. This means the air is warm and humid since it is in permanent contact with the foot of the wearer, thus heating the air and, in addition, due to the perspiration of the foot the air becomes humid.

European patent No. EP01127711.8 published under number ES2221635T3, describes a “shoe which comprises a system of airing or transpiration”, while the European Patent EP00304615.8 published under number ES22253183T3 is for the purpose of a “shoe sole with an air renewal system”, in both cases offering very complicated techniques based on the use of very complex soles in terms of their internal structure.

The same structural complexity is presented in the European Patent published under number ES2281652T3 referring to an “adjustable, transpirable and shock-absorbing shoe” as in the Spanish utility models No. ES1065078U (“device for footwear transpiration”) and ES1060168U (“arrangement for the circulation of air in a shoe, in particular for children”).

The Spanish utility model No. ES1050598U limits itself to advocating a determined “air valve for footwear” of a unidirectional nature, but which presents a structure completely different from that described in the present specification.

Similarly U.S. patent publication No. US20070240339 A1 describes a “surfing boot with passive draining”, equally fitted with one-way valves, and designed so that the liquid only flows to the exterior of the boot.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The self-ventilating footwear which is proposed has been designed to resolve the problem described above, based on obtaining an ongoing renewal of air, in other words, that fresh air enters from the exterior, passes around the foot in the corresponding chamber and exits to the exterior, without the possibility of returning to the chamber again and, of course, without the possibility of returning to the shoe again.

More specifically, the footwear is based on holes made on the insole that delimits the foot receptacle with the lower chamber, said holes constitute valves that allow the one-way pass of air, that is, from the area where the foot is situated or from the exterior of the shoe through the shoe-intake to the chamber, but impeding the return through these same holes. This is because the lower part of said holes on the insole are covered with elastic patches or flaps with one or more edges freed precisely to allow the one-way passing of air from the interior of the shoe to the chamber in the sole, said chamber in the sole being provided with exit holes or valves that allow the air to egress to the exterior but impede the return or entry of air through the same, said valves being able to be used with pressure regulators that can be adjusted to the weight of each wearer.

In this way, when the foot bears weight on the insole, in other words, applies pressure on the chamber embodied in the sole, the air inside the shoe moves towards said chamber, tending to exit through the valves, which are provided for in this sole.

However, when the foot is raised, that is, when pressure is no longer applied to the chamber, the sole recovers its initial shape absorbing air through the valves or holes in the insole, allowing the chamber to fill once again with air from inside the shoe.

In order to ensure that the sole recovers the expanded position sufficiently quickly it must be made of a suitably flexible material, such effect being enhanced, if considered necessary, by the provision of springs, straps or similar elements. This will ensure that in inert position the sole preserves its position of maximum interior volume, and that it quickly returns to said position when the external force applied to compress it, in other words the weight borne by the foot, ceases.

Consequently, the hot air that was inside the shoe and in contact with the foot passes to the chamber in the sole through the holes or valves in the insole, being replaced by fresh air from outside.

Obviously, when weight is applied on the next step the cycle is repeated, air exiting through the one-way valves provided on the side of the sole and entering the chamber again through the holes, also one-way, provided on the insole when the foot is raised in readiness for the next step.

In this way and as a consequence of the air flow established, the foot is kept dry and ventilated, or in other words fresh, decreasing and even avoiding perspiration and overheating.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

To complement the description and with the aim of helping to better understand the characteristics of the invention, in accordance with a preferred example of the practical execution of the same, accompanying the description as an integral part of the same is a set of drawings which, by way of illustration but not limiting, represent the following:

FIG. 1 shows a schematic view corresponding to a cross-sectional side view of the sole of the footwear of the invention when weight is borne by the foot, the air in the chamber being pushed outwards to the exterior.

FIG. 2 shows a top plan view of the insole provided with holes constituting the one-way valves which communicate with the chamber in the sole.

FIG. 3 shows a representation like that in FIG. 1 when the weight bearing on the sole ceases, making it possible to see the entry of air from the shoe to said sole.

FIG. 3A shows an enlarged cross-section of a portion of the representation in FIG. 3.

FIG. 4 shows a lower plan view of the same sole represented in FIG. 2

FIG. 5 shows, by way of example, a detailed plan and section of an embodiment of the one-way outlet valves or holes established on the side of the sole of the shoe to evacuate air.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

As can be seen in the figures referred to, the shoe (1) in the invention, which may be any shape, is comprised of any material and, preferably applicable to sports trainers, includes a sole comprising a lower surface (2) corresponding to the lower support layer of the shoe (1) and an interior insole (3), so that between said surface (2) and insole (3) a chamber (4) is formed which communicates with the interior (5) of the shoe through a series of one-way holes (6) or valves established for this purpose on the insole (3). The air circulates through these holes (6) in one direction only, in other words, from the inside (5) of the shoe (1) to the chamber (4), but is impeded from circulating in the opposite direction as the holes (6) are covered with flaps or elastic patches (7) attached by one, two or more edges but leaving some of the edges free precisely to allow air to pass from the interior (5) of the shoe (1) to the chamber (4), as illustrated in FIG. 3.

The chamber (4) communicates with the exterior by means of one-way valves (8) which can be constituted, for example, by cylindrical tubular elements with a widened external end, according to reference (8′) and into whose widened end is positioned a ball, membrane or shutter element (9). This allows the pass of air towards the exterior, but when this shutter device (9) is blocked, the cylindrical stretch of the one-way valve (8) impedes the pass of air in the opposite direction, in other words towards the interior of the chamber (4), with the peculiarity that the shutter device (9) is retained in the widened section (8′) via straps or other suitable elastic elements (10) as can be seen in FIG. 5, which in idle position activate the shutter device (9), thus closing the cylindrical stretch.

In accordance with these characteristics, when the foot (11) of the wearer loads on the sole of the shoe (1), as shown in FIG. 1, pressure is applied on the interior of the chamber (4). This pushes upwards the covers or elastic patches (7) closing the holes (6), preventing the ingress of air from the chamber (4) to the inside (5) of the shoe (1), thus forcing the air in this chamber (4) to egress to the exterior through the one-way valves (8).

However, when the foot is raised, the chamber (4) recovers its initial position as a consequence of the fact that when the air inside (5) the shoe (1) stops pressurizing upwards against the flaps or elastic patches (7), it passes to the chamber (4) through the one-way holes (6) or valves. This therefore establishes a constant renewal of air, as the air will circulate through the whole shoe vertically and unidirectionally, air which penetrates through the air-intake in the shoe and reaches the chamber (4) in accordance with what has just been explained, to egress to the exterior through the one-way valves (8), thus producing a ventilation of the foot housed inside the shoe (1), preventing perspiration and keeping it fresh. 

1. (canceled)
 2. (canceled)
 3. A self-ventilating footwear that comprises a sole with a chamber delimited on the inside of a shoe by an insole (3) with communication holes between the inside of the shoe and the chamber, and further including at least one one-way valve communicating the chamber with the exterior through which air from inside the shoe egresses, said footwear article is characterized because the holes (6) delimit the upper part of the chamber (4) in the sole and are one-way allowing the pass of air from the inside (5) of the shoe (1) to the chamber (4) in the sole, impeding the pass of air in the opposite direction by means of elastic patches (7) situated on the lower surface of the insole (3) coinciding with the area of the holes (6), said patches being partially attached along their perimeter with the insole (3).
 4. A self-ventilating shoe, comprising: A) a sole having a lower surface (2) and an insole (3) with at least one chamber thereinbetween, said insole further including at least one hole connecting said chamber with the interior of a shoe, said sole further including at least one second hole connecting said chamber to the exterior of said shoe; and B) first one-way valve means for allowing the air inside said shoe to pass inside said chamber so that the air inside said shoe travels through said at least one first hole, said chamber, and said second hole out to the exterior in that direction only.
 5. The shoe set forth in claim 4 further including: C) second one-way valve means for allowing the air inside said at least one chamber to pass to the exterior through said at least one second hole, said second one-way valve means coacting with said at least one second hole.
 6. The shoe set forth in claim 5 wherein said first one-way valve means includes a flexible sheet interiorly mounted to said insole with at least one portion detached therefrom to permit the air to pass to said at least one chamber, said sheet coacting with said at least one first hole to permit the air to pass in one direction only to said at least one chamber. 